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1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to an assembly for connecting a computer, having an internal hard disk drive, with an external device, and more particularly, to an assembly for this purpose that allows extremely fast signal transfer rates between the computer and the external device.
2. Background Information.
With the recent introduction of the Ultra ATA/100 interface for hard disk drives, and the continuous introduction of faster and more powerful central processor units (CPUs), new personal computer (PC) systems are equipped with high storage capacity hard disk drives equipped with an Ultra ATA/100 or similar interface. This interface allows full utilization of the performance of the fast CPUs and the demands of large software programs. Consequently, numerous older hard disk drives of lesser storage capacity with an industry-standard ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) task file interface (here in after called an ATA interface) are left unused where individuals have upgraded their computers or replaced an older computer with a new one.
These older hard disk drives represent an unused source of storage capacity. Connecting such an external hard disk drive or other device having an ATA interface to another computer with an ATA or similar interface can be effected through either a printer port or a USB port. However, signal transmission between the computer and the external hard drive is limited by the speed of the printer port or a USB port. Additionally, an external hard disk drive (HDD) drive box having a power supply is required to power the external hard disk drive. This adds to the cost of implementing use of an external HDD.
The present invention provides a unique, inexpensive solution to connecting an external hard disk drive, or other peripheral device having an ATA interface, to a computer with high-speed signal transfer between the computer and the external device.
The present invention is directed to a device and an assembly for connecting a computer, having an internal hard drive, with an external device for fast transmission of signal between devices. The present invention is exemplified in a number of implementations and applications, some of which are summarized below.
According to an example embodiment, the present invention includes a connector for coupling two ATA signal transfer lines via two sets of signal transfer receptacles, with each receptacle set contained in a female connector of one signal transfer line. The connector also couples two electrical power lines. The connector includes an elongated generally cubical body member of a first length, a first width, and a first height. The body member has first and second faces and a peripheral surface comprising discontinuously planar upper and base parts, and first and second end parts. A cutout section is present in each upper and base part, with each cutout section opening to opposite body member faces. A set of dual pin members, each with first and second ends, is mounted in and extends through the body member in a width-wise direction. A first end of each pin member is arrayed for insertion into one set of signal transfer receptacles of one signal transfer line female connector, and a second end of each pin member is arrayed for insertion into another set of signal transfer receptacles of another signal transfer line female connector. A set of open-ended pin-receptacle members is mounted in and extends through the body member in a width-wise direction. Each pin-receptacle member of the set is arrayed to receive through a first face of the body a respective set of correspondingly arrayed pins of an electrical power line male plug, and through a second face of the body a respective set of correspondingly arrayed receptacles of an electrical power line female plug.
In another example embodiment of the present invention, the above described connector, combined with two signal transfer lines and two power cords, produces a connector assembly for signal transfer and powering an external device by a computer. The assembly includes a first signal transfer line connected at a first end to the computer hard drive via the internal drive electronics (IDE) header mounted on the system board. The first signal transfer line has a female connector containing a set of signal transfer receptacles at a second end. A second signal transfer line connected at a first end to the external device also has a female connector containing a set of signal transfer receptacles at a second end. A first power cord connected at a first end to the computer power supply has an arrayed set of receptacles in a female plug at a second end. A second power cord connected at a first end to the external device has an arrayed set of pins in a male plug at a second end.
The assembly has a connector for coupling first and second signal transfer lines and first and second power cords. The connector includes an elongated generally cubical body member of a first length, a first width, and a first height, the body member having first and second faces and a peripheral surface with discontinuously planar upper and base parts, and first and second end parts. There is a cutout section in each upper and base part, with each cutout section opening to opposite body faces. A set of dual pin members, each with first and second ends, is mounted in and extends through the body member in a width-wise direction. The first end of each pin member is arrayed for insertion into one set of signal transfer receptacles of the first signal transfer line female connector and the second end of each pin member is arrayed for insertion into another set of signal transfer receptacles of the second signal transfer line female connector. A set of open-ended pin-receptacle members is mounted in and extends through the body member in a width-wise direction. Each pin-receptacle member of the set is arrayed to receive through a first face of the body member a respective set of correspondingly arrayed pins of the second end of the electrical power line male plug. Each pin-receptacle of the set also is arrayed to receive through a second face of the body member a respective set of correspondingly arrayed receptacles of the second end of the electrical power line female plug.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.